Face the Fax
by STARszx
Summary: Max is getting married! Takes place after FANG, so there may be spoilers. Rated T just in case. ONESHOT.


**A/N : I hate leaving things half-done, so I've decided to post this, even though it's probably crappy beyond description. Ending probably sucks because I'm falling asleep while writing this ._. It's nearing midnight.**

**Disclaimer : I do not own Maximum Ride or any third party content that may have been used in this. All rights go to James Patterson and whoever else it may concern.**

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**Max POV**

"Max! You look perfect!" Nudge practically screamed. Angel stood beside her, smiling and nodding. I, on the other hand, grimaced. There was too much make-up for my taste. Then again, I can't even stand putting on a layer of foundation. I turned and looked at myself in the mirror and got the shock of my life.

I couldn't even recognise the person in the mirror. Is that really me? There was no way.

"Nudge, that's not really me, right?" I asked, pointing at the person in the mirror.  
"It is! Don't you think you look beautiful?"

I turned back to the mirror and took a closer look. And I have to admit, she did look kind of beautiful. I twitched my nose experimentally, and the person in the mirror copied the action exactly.

"Oh, you should change into your dress now, Max," Angel said, smiling at me. I smiled back and nodded. Things between us never really got ironed out properly, but at least we weren't contradicting each other with every sentence we said anymore.

I slipped into the white sleeveless dress that Nudge had picked out for me. Angel helped me do up the zip at the back while Nudge bent down and helped me straighten out the skirt. I unfurled my wings slowly, being careful not to hit anything, and shook them out. I let them hang down at first, then straightened them and pulled them in slightly, deciding that it looked better that way. The dress complimented my wings perfectly.

"Max," Mum said, popping her head through the curtains that cut us off from the rest of the people outside.  
"Oh honey, you look beautiful," she said, walking in. "I would say 'Oh, look at my little girl all grown up', but I didn't actually watch you grow up since you were little, so that one's out."

Angel stepped out of the changing curtains wearing her bridesmaid dress. It was a knee-length dress, a shade of purple so light that you'd mistake it as white at first sight. It was strapless, like mine, but looked as if it were a length of cloth being wrapped around her instead of flowing down like mine.

"Angel! You look so cute in that!" Mum nearly squealed. "Aw, I remember when you were six. And now look at you, all grown up! Well, at least I can say that to you. I can't believe you're 15 already! And Nudge is 20, and Max 23! Time passes so quickly," she said and sighed, sounding a lot like Nudge.

She stepped out of the changing curtains at that moment as well, wearing the same dress as Angel.

"Max, why couldn't I have gotten that dress that I wanted? I really liked it," she whined. Yup, _whined_. Some things never change, do they?  
"Nudge," I said, sighing in exasperation, "do you _really _want to wear a shiny, hot pink dress to a wedding?"  
"Well, I guess not," she said. That was probably the shortest sentence she'd ever said in her whole life. It's as if Mum and Nudge have switched, Mum's talking a lot but Nudge's being real quiet.

"Max, you've got ten minutes left," Jeb said, stepping through the curtains.  
"Ah, Angel! Ten minutes! I've gotta do your hair and makeup! Hurry!" Nudge nearly screamed, scrambling about for the foundation. I picked it up from it's place on the corner of the table and pushed it into Nudge's hand.

I put on the white high heels that threatened to twist my ankle at any moment. Never liked them, never will. What's wrong with wearing sneakers to a wedding? I walked over to Jeb slowly, trying not to trip and fall. He laughed and walked over to slip his arm through mine.

"You look beautiful. Why don't you dress up properly everyday?" he asked.  
"Can't be bothered," I answered, rolling my eyes. I spied at myself in the mirror again. My hair was temporarily permed and let down. I looked like a Taylor Swift look-alike.

Angel hopped off the chair, already done with her makeup and whatnot. Her hair was curled and tied up in a half-ponytail. She shook her wings out, then drew them in slightly like mine. The whole world knows about our wings, so doesn't really make a difference whether we let them out or not.

Jeb checked his watch.  
"Five minutes," he said.  
"Ah ah ah almost done!" Nudge said hurriedly, pinning her hair up. She'd decided to leave it down like mine. "Okay!"

She ran over and grabbed the baskets and handed one to Angel. The music started, the familiar starting of Pachebel's Canon drifting into the tent.

"That's our cue!" Angel said, and stepped out of the curtains together with Nudge. I poked my head out and watched them hurry off to the doors of the chapel.

That's when the first wave hit me. I ignored the knot in my stomach and sat down, concentrating on taking deep breaths.

"You'll be fine," Mum said. "I gotta go now, don't wanna miss my own daughter's wedding!"

She left for the chapel and I turned to Jeb.

"Well, I guess we should start walking there now," he said. "At the rate you're walking ..."  
"Okay! I get it!" I stood up and tottered over to the curtains. Well, at least the music was reasonably slow, slow enough that I'd be able to walk on these death traps without making a fool of myself in front of everybody.

The build-up to the chorus... Okay there's my cue.

I stepped through the chapel doors with Jeb by my side. He is my biological dad, I should at least give him this opportunity, much as I hate him. After an eternity, we reached the priest and he let go of my arm, giving my hand to ...

Dylan.

Why did I ever agree to this? It wasn't because Jeb kept persuading me to. It wasn't because it would make my mum happy to see her eldest daughter getting married. It wasn't because I actually loved Dylan, I never had. The only one I have ever loved left me, but that doesn't change the way my heart feels. It doesn't change the way my heart still beats erratically every time I think of him, every kiss, every touch...

The reason I agreed to this? I thought it'd take the pain away. I thought it'd heal that gaping hole in my heart. That I could force myself to love Dylan somehow, and forget about _him_. I mean, he isn't that bad, he's actually quite decent.

"I'm so glad you actually agreed to this," Dylan said sincerely. _I'm not glad I agreed to this at all._____________________________________

The priest said some crap about being together forever, which I automatically blocked out.

"I do," Dylan said suddenly. Whoops, you mean we're saying our vows already? Iggy coughed meaningfully. He's still against this.  
"Maximum Ride," the priest said. "Do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband?"  
"I... I-I..."

Shit, what am I doing? How could I ever think this way? I'd never forget Fang, my best friend, boyfriend, soulmate. Dylan could never replace him, he was irreplaceable.

"I don't," I said finally. Everybody in the chapel gasped. Even the priest gasped.

I turned to look at Iggy, who was smiling away happily.

Max Angel thought to me. You'll never guess who's here...

I heard a few murmurs from somewhere in the back and turned to see what was happening. A man was getting up to leave. The jet black hair looked exactly like ....

Fang.

He started walking to the front and I turned to walk towards him. That was when Dylan put a hand on my shoulder and pulled me back.

"What are you doing?" he growled menacingly and I shivered. He'd never growled at me, or anyone else for that matter, before.  
"You have to face the facts, Dylan. I don't actually love you. So what's the point of getting married?"

I jerked away and walked briskly towards Fang. I tripped on the high heel once and ripped it off. Useless things.

"Dylan," I heard Mum say. I turned back to see him running after us. I ran towards Fang and grabbed his hand, pulling him along with me. We ran out of the chapel and took off into the sky, leaving everyone else behind, astounded.

Once we up with the clouds, we relaxed. Dylan never learnt to fly properly, so he wouldn't be able to come after us. We flew off to the cave at Lake Mead, where we first flew with the hawks.

Flying alongside Fang made me feel complete once again. Feeling his calloused hand holding mine tightly, it felt like I was at home.

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"What the heck was that Max?" Fang asked as soon as we landed at the mouth of the cave.  
"I.. I-I don't know," I said and just broke down there and then.

"Sh, don't cry," Fang crooned, rubbing soothing circles in between my wings, trying to calm me down. I nodded and wiped the tears away quickly.  
"I'm sorry," I mumbled. "I really don't know what came over me. I thought it would take away the pain of you leaving me."  
"I'm sorry too," he said, pulling me closer to him, wrapping his ropey arms around my torso. We stayed like that for a while.

Finally, I spoke.

"How did you know I was getting married?" I asked, pulling away suddenly.  
"Well, you _are _Maximum Ride. Of course your marriage would make the news."

I nodded. Ah, that Angel. She'd known he'd come all along. No wonder she'd forced me into having that interview with those reporters who'd asked me countless questions about Dylan and I.

"Well, I'm not about to waste this day. It is your wedding day after all, and you're all dressed up," Fang said abruptly, pulling me from my train of thoughts.  
"Huh?"

He stuck two fingers into his jeans pocket and pulled out a ring. My breath hitched in my throat.

"Maximum Ride, I promise to love you everyday of this stinking life we lead, through whatever comes our way, and I agree to take you as my wife. Will you take me as your husband?"  
"You know my response," I said.  
"I just want to hear you say it," he replied.  
"Fine, I do, okay?"  
"Good."

Fang slipped the ring onto my finger hastily and silently, and leaned forward to kiss me.

"Are you coming back now?" I asked hesitantly.  
"Well, it seems that you can't live with or without me, so I guess I'll just come back. On one condition though. Kick Dylan out as soon as possible."  
"Fine with me," I said and kissed him again.

So what if our marriage isn't official? I prefer doing things our own way, anyway. The most important thing is that he's back.

"So what'd we miss?" Iggy said, flying into the cave with the rest of the Flock.  
"You have no idea," I said.

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**Thanks for reading, even though there was the crappiness warning at the beginning ._.**

**Hahaha, there was loads of dialogue because I just love talking so much. Okay, going to sleep now. Gdnight :P**

**Oh, and don't forget to review to tell me how lousy this was! :D**


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